Jackie is Sallu's new heroine!

Mumbai, May 27 -- Her last two films Housefull 2 (2012) and Race 2 have been R100- crore grossers. But now, Jacqueline Fernandez is clearly setting her eyes on the big league with her next project.

We have now been informed that the former Sri Lankan beauty queen will be cast opposite Salman Khan in Sajid Nadiadwala's action caper, Kick. What's more is that apparently, Jacqueline's Race 2 co-star Deepika Padukone was also in contention to bag the film, but the Murder 2 (2011) girl ultimately emerged victorious.

"Nadiadwala wanted a fresh pair. And that's why he thought of several names before zeroing in on Jacqueline and Deepika. No one knew about Jacqueline even being considered for the role, but she has managed to bag it. Nadiadwala and Salman are impressed with her work," says an insider.

When contacted, Nadiadwala - who makes his directorial debut with the film - confirmed the news but refused to divulge other details. Kick - a remake of the 2009 Telugu hit of the same name - goes on the floors in July and will be Salman's big Eid release next year. Nadiadwala has also roped in Hollywood cinematographer Alexander Witt, who has worked on films like Pirates Of The Caribbean (2003) and Skyfall (2012)."Nadiadwala wants to mount it on an international scale," explains the insider. That's probably why he has also got international stunt directors Philippe Guegan and Spiro Razatos on board.